Charles j



n e.J.APPLEToN.` I Improvemenn-Kniing Machines.

Patented Feb. 13, 1872.

UNrTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. CHARLES J. APPLE'IO, OF HAMILTON, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNlTTlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,545, dated February 13, 1872.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. APPLETON, of the city of Hamilton, in the county of Wentworth and Province ot Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knittin g-Machines and I do hereby declare that the followin g is a-full, clear, and exact description thereoi', reference being had to the accompanying drawing makingpart of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a plan of the machine. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the center of the sliding carriage. Figs. 4 and 5 represent a plan and end view, respectively, of cam-holder and cam. Fig. 6 is a side view ol aneedle.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

Nature.

The nature of my invention consists, tirst,

and the bar which carries the selvage-nger,

whereby, with a very simple mechanism, I am enabled to perform the operation of widening or narrowing the work at pleasure. It consists, third, in the yarn-carrier, attached to asliding spring-bar,iu combination with the carriage, provided with a drop-depression and with the adjustable stops of thevrack-bar, whereby, with very simple mechanism, the operation'of pressing the yarn-guide down between the knitting-needles and dropping' lthe yarn into the selvage-needle can be very perfectly performed. It consists, fourth, in a singie selvage-iinger, operating on both selvages; said linger being attached to a sliding bar which alternately adjusts itself upon the pin of the right and left selvage-stops and remains in gear until the selvagge-needle has secured the yarn. It consists, fifth, in making the selvage-needle with a spring-joint in it,be

tween its extremities, so as to yield to the tension and at the proper moment slip otl' the loop and again assume its original position.

Description. v A, Fig. 2, is a bed-plate, (which can be attached to a table by means of thumb-screws y2,) used for the purpose of holding and guiding a series of hooked or latched needles in grooves in a horizontal position. This ybedplate has the jacks f5 formed directly upon it,

and, by reason of this, in connection with an adjustable center-cam, hereinafter described, the length of stitches can be more accurately adjusted than with a bed-plate which has the jacks movably attached to it and adjustable thereon at both ends. B is a rack-bar, placed on the upper side of the bed-plate and over the needles. Upon the rack-bar Bis placed a sliding carriage, F, to which all the working parts of the machine are attached, consisting of a cam-holder g, cam h, pinion n, stitchadjusting screw l', bobbin-holder 7c, bobbin l, crank fm., yarn-carrier e, yarn-carrier bar e1, yarn-carrier springs o, selvage-nger holder f1, and selvage-nger d.

Fig. 6 represents a side view of a single1 needle, any desired number of which move horizontally in the parallel grooves cut into and across the bed-plate and are Aoperated back and forth by means of the cam h; said cam h, by means of its oblique sides, serving to repl ce any needles which may have been displaced, thus insuring their being iu proper working position. The lower ends of the needles are constructed with an upright shank, extending a little above the face of the bedplate, and are drawn in and pushed out by the cam h that is attached to the sides of the groove of the under side of the carriage F, and

is so constructed as to give the needles an outward and inward motion, the selvage-stops j j allowing the cam to opera-te all or any num-` ber of the needles so as to take the yarn from the yarn-carrier. The selvage-iin ger carrier f1 is provided with notches, which catch aut-omatically on the pins j' j?, attached to the sel- 'vage-stops j j, so as to arrest the motion of the selvage-tinger in going from right to left and from left to right. h., Fig. 4, represents in full size a set of cams, attached by screws to the cam-holder g. As the carriage F with the cams is moved back and forth by the crank m the needles are carried up one groove between the cams and down the other, and at the same time the yarn-carrier e delivers the yarn into the hooks of the needles, thus forming loops and knitting. jj' are adjustable selvage-stops, which are grooved plates slidin g on the rackbar B, and can be placed inany desired position 011 the rack-bar and secured by means of a pin, j', passing through the stops and down between the teeth of the rack. These stops may be placed at any distance apart to regulate the width ofthe Work. On the front side of each stop is a projectionpin, .r x, Figs. l and 2, which serves to alternately catch and regulate the lateral motion of the selvage-finger holder f1. The selvage-finger d is riveted to the selvage-tinger holder f1 and is for the purpose of holding the yarn at any desired point until the selvage-needle has secured the yarn for itself and returned to its originall position. It has a joint, cl2, near its lower end, which allows it to bend inwardly at the proper time and release the yarn. Over the joint is riveted a small dat steel spring that causes the lower part of the nger to return to its original position after the yarn is released. q, Figs. l and 3, is a rear needle-guard, consisting of a rod, as shown, applied on the rear of the bedplate A to prevent the needles from slipping outbackward and forholding any needles which are between the stops that may be thrownback of it. A stitch-adjusting screw, o', Fig. 3, is attached to the carriage and yoked to the camholder g for lengthening and shortening the stitch at pleasure. A small spring, t, is secured to the top of the carriage and presses on the sclvage-linger carriage to keep itin its place. The yarn-carrier bar el slides between two raised projections on the top of the carriage F, the front one of which has a small notch or depression, e3, cut into it on the upper side, which allows-the yarn-carrier e to drop a llttle at the proper moment and guide the yarn into the hook ofthe selvage-needles. A guardplate, c, is arranged immediately -under the needles in front ot the stationary jacks and is v secured to the bed-plate A by/the hooks c c at each end, its use being to prevent the knitting or work from sliding out with the needles when they are about to take up the yarn in order to make fresh knitting or l0ops.

rack-bar B. By the direct and reversed motion of the crank the carriage F, and all the parts connected with it slide back and forth, and the number of stitches formed per minute will be regula-ted in proportion to the speed with which the crank is driven.

What I claim as my invention, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The bedplate A, having the' jacks f5 formed directly upon its front edge, in combination with a cam-holder, g, cam h., adjustingscrew 7', and front guard-plate '0, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. 'lhe adjustable selvage-stops j j, in combination with the ba-r el, carrying the yarnguide, and the bar fl carrying the selvage-tinger, substantially in the manner and for thc purpose described.

3. The yarn-carrier e, attached to the bar el, in combination with the adjustable stops j y' and carriage F provided with the depression e3, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

' 4. A single selvage-inger, operating 011 both selvages, substantially as described.

5. Ajointed selVage-nger, substantially as described.

Hamilton, Canada, May 31st, 1871.

CHARLES JAMES APPLETON. Signed in the presence of W. BRUCE, WALTER A'rHERToN. 

